


Breathe

by Avaruuspiraatti



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Keith and Lance's relationship is open to interpretation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 18:43:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13324221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avaruuspiraatti/pseuds/Avaruuspiraatti
Summary: ”There’s nothing to talk about,” Keith mutters, even though it’s a big fat lie. Truly, if they had nothing to talk about, Keith wouldn’t have just broken down only because he kept on rambling.





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Hengitä](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12872961) by [Avaruuspiraatti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avaruuspiraatti/pseuds/Avaruuspiraatti). 



> I wrote the Finnish version of this shortly after the release of Keith's vlog. I'm quite excited to post this translated version since this is my first attempt to translate any of my fics myself! Thank you _so_ so much to my betas [Ronen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ronen) and [Beelsebutt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beelsebutt) for going through this <3 Your help was highly appreciated!

”Breathe, Keith. Breathe.”

The Video Diary Room feels too cramped. Keith follows its walls clockwise, then the other way around, clockwise again, and beats them with his fists. He can’t get out. The Castle’s engines are humming too loudly, the blue lights are making his eyes ache, and the walls are closing in on him. He screams and shouts till his voice breaks but no one will let him out. The engines’ humming grows and hurts his ears, and soon it swallows him whole. He can’t breathe.

_He can’t breathe._

”Calm down, Keith.”

He didn’t think it would go like this. He should be able to control his feelings: after all, he is the Black Paladin, the head of Voltron, _goddamnit!_ It really wasn’t supposed to go like this. But it did: he thought too much, and gave too much of himself, and now he can’t escape from it all _for no one will let him out._ He wasn’t going to cry. He didn’t want to cry. But he cried and is still crying, and no one cares that he is screaming his throat sore and beating his knuckles bloody. No one will let him out!

”Keith!”

Lance is standing right in front of him. Keith gulps. Yes. Lance is with him, has been with him this whole time. Lance sat behind the camera and helped him film his vlog. So, that’s how it was.

”Breathe,” Lance says, slow and steady, and grabs Keith’s arm. ”Just breathe. You’re okay.”

Keith breathes through his nose. It feels so goddamn hard but he breathes.

_He breathes._

He can breathe. Everything is okay.

”Good,” Lance encourages and smiles, and immediately Keith feels a little better. ”Keep going. It’s all good.”

Keith breathes. Lance strokes his arms with his thumbs, and it feels quite nice but when Lance’s encouraging smile fades to a melancholic one, Keith feels uneasy. He pinches his lips shut and glances at the floor.

”We don’t have to talk about it,” Lance says. He tries to catch Keith’s eyes but Keith avoids him persistently. ”But,” he continues, ”it’d be nice if we did.”

”There’s nothing to talk about,” Keith mutters, even though it’s a big fat lie. Truly, if they had nothing to talk about, Keith wouldn’t have just broken down only because he kept on rambling.

_(”Maybe I’m naturally untrusting because my mom left me, and so instead of accepting people into my life I push them away before they reject me. I guess I have some walls up…”)_

Lance squeezes Keith’s arms, and Keith feels awful that he’s not able to look straight into Lance’s eyes. He’s certain that Lance looks disappointed, maybe even hurt, and Keith doesn’t want to see that for he knows he wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut much longer.

”Keith,” Lance says quietly. His voice is soft and pleasant, and Keith is mad at himself because he takes a quick look at Lance’s face, just out of curiosity, and everything about his expression speaks of acceptance. That it _is_ okay. That they can stay silent, or they can talk, or they can do whatever, and it’s all good for Lance. Keith’s chest feels tight. He wants to give something back, something more, but he can’t. Something is holding him back, something sticky and sore, and he can’t get rid of it even if he wants to.

But that, too, is okay.

”Keith,” Lance repeats his name and sounds safe. Keith doesn’t pull back when Lance wraps his arms around him and pulls him into a tight hug. It feels good: how warm Lance’s neck is against his cheek, and how Lance’s fingers move through his hair. Keith hasn’t been hugged like this in a while, maybe even in forever (Keith can’t remember), and he feels like crying again.

”I won’t leave,” Lance whispers and hugs him tighter. ”I am here, and I won’t leave. And that’s a promise, okay?”

In the end, Keith doesn’t cry. He breathes and closes his eyes, just for a moment. Maybe everything really is okay.

Maybe Lance doesn’t mind.

Maybe Lance really stays.


End file.
